David Downs almost sympathizes with his character in his latest TheatreAC production.

It’s tough.

Downs’ King Ferdinand demands that his three closest friends join him in an oath to foreswear women for three years — no dates, no marriages, no innocent flirtation, even. They can have nothing in their lives but an intense dedication to their studies.

“He desires to get famous by knowing everything in the world, the meaning of life,” Downs said.

Ferdinand — one of the central characters in William Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” opening Thursday at Amarillo College — is nothing if not ambitious.

“I can sympathize a little,” Downs said, citing the difficulties in the modern world of concentrating when there are video games to be played, texts to be sent, apps to be downloaded.

“I can see why he’d want to (make the oath), but it’s still kind of dumb,” Downs said.

But it’s a fine setup for a comedy, one of Shakespeare’s earliest.

“I wanted to do one of the lighter comedies,” said director Monty Downs (David’s uncle, as well). “I wanted one of the ones with fun in it, but not one of the ones people do all the time.”

Immediately after Ferdinand and his retinue make their oath, the fun really begins: The Princess of France (L’Hannah Riehl) arrives with her ladies-in-waiting, offering the men of the court no end of temptation.

For a character like the Lady Rosaline, the men’s oath presents an opportunity.

“I think she likes that it’s in place,” said Jerri Peacock, who plays Rosaline. “That way, she can have some amusement.

“She kind of plays with Berowne (one of the king’s friends, played by Josiah Castro),” she said. “I don’t think she intends on falling in love with him, but she does.”